Ask whether your daycare’s employees have received professional training from seminars or videos by experts with academic credentials in the field of animal behavior

Your potential daycare’s employees must understand basic canine communication, including body postures and signals. If employees are unable to accurately interpret dogs’ body language and social communication, then they won’t know what’s going on among the dogs. Lack of such awareness is risky and could be downright dangerous.

You also want to look for employees who are well trained in dog handling and behavior management and who closely monitor dog activity at all times.

A rule-of-thumb for adequate staffing is to have, at minimum, one employee per 10 to15 dogs.

Unfortunately, however, there are no national standards for day cares.

2. Playgroup Guidelines

It’s import to ask about the playgroup at your doggie day care. The structure of your dog’s playgroup is important for the dogs enjoyment and there safety.

How long the daycare centre allows play sessions to run will depend on the dogs involved, but all dogs in daycare need naps and quiet times between play sessions. Find out how often dogs get time to rest and if dogs are kept separated for play breaks.

For example, we believe dogs should not just placed into playgroups just based on size. Things to consider are Temperament, energy and play style.

3. Safety Policies

Safety of your dog should be paramount. As well as your standard processes like C5 Vaccinations and de-sexing, monthly flea & Worming treatment.

Behavior assessments, potential daycares conduct an initial behavior assessment to determine how a dog behaves around other dogs and people.

This assessment may give staff a rough idea of a dog’s behavioral tendencies—but it’s important to acknowledge that a single, on-the-spot behavior test can’t definitively determine a dog’s temperament or personality.